People v. Mills CA3

FACTS

Prosecution Case-in-Chief The parties stipulated that, in June 2012, “law enforcement had information” that “the address of record for the defendant” was an apartment in Redding. On June 6, 2012, around 6:00 p.m., Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Special Agent John Harrison and Redding Police Department Sergeant Walt Bullington went to that apartment in order to conduct a search. The parties stipulated that the ensuing search was lawful. Defendant was not present when the officers arrived. Two other residents, Priscilla and Michael Bledsoe, answered the door. The Bledsoes directed the officers to a room that they identified as defendant’s bedroom. Sergeant Bullington searched the bedroom closet. On a shelf in the closet, he located a digital gram scale of the sort used for weighing drugs. Also in the closet were articles of men’s clothing including a navy peacoat that was long, “almost thigh length.” Sergeant Bullington searched the pockets of the coat. Inside one pocket he located a statement from a credit union in Redding. The statement bore defendant’s name, the name “James Bledsoe Rep Payee,” and the address of the searched apartment. A representative payee…